January 01, 2021

Upcoming Releases for Winter and Spring 2021



I love sharing these lists of upcoming releases of #youngCanLit. I learn about new authors and illustrators, introduce others to Canadian creators, and get the buzz out about new books for young readers. It's a win-win-win for all.  Here's hoping you find a picture book, early reader, middle-grade fiction, graphic novel, young adult novel, book of poetry, or non-fiction title that strikes your fancy and makes you a fan of a Canadian writer or illustrator or reminds you how awesome you always knew they were. ❤️🇨🇦📚







 
Picture Books and Board Books
Goldibooks and the Wee Bear by Troy Wilson, illus. by Edwardian Taylor (Running Press Books)
i? siw?kw nkwancin?m k'?l suli? / The Water Sings to Suli? by Harron Hall, illus. by Shianna Allison (Theytus) >>>dual language edition in English & nsyilxc?n
k?xntim s?anixw k'?l nixwtitkw i? acxw?l?xwalt / We Go with Muskrat to Those Living
Underwater
by Harron Hall, illus. by Ron Hall (Theytus)>>>dual language in English & nsyilxc?nkwu?c'?x?w?ntim t?l stunx isck'wuls / Lessons From Beaver's Work by Harron Hall, illus. by Bill Cohen (Theytus)>>>dual Language in English & nsyilxc?n
Outside Art by Madeline Kloepper (Tundra)
Puppy in My Head: A Book about Mindfulness by Elise Gravel (HarperCollins)
sk?p'lk'mitkw / Water Changeling by Harron Hall, illus. by Phyllis Isaac (Theytus)>>> dual language in English & nsyilxc?n
Ten Little Dumplings by Larissa Fan, illus. by Cindy Wume (Tundra)
Water Water by Jessica Bromley Bartram (Fitzhenry & Whiteside)

Early Readers and Middle Grade Fiction
Camping Chaos by L. M. Nicodemo, illus. by Graham Ross (Formac)>>> The Secret Games of Maximus Todd series
The Crosswood by Gabrielle Prendergast (Orca)>>> Orca Currents
The Fabulous Zed Watson by Kevin Sylvester and Basil Sylvester (HarperCollins Canada)
Finders Keepers by Melanie McFarlane (Orca)>>>Orca Currents
Hoppy Go Lucky (Bunbun & Bonbon #2) by Jess Keating (Graphix)>>>graphic novel
The Ice Chips and the Grizzly Escape by Roy MacGregor and Kerry MacGregor, illus. by Kim Smith (HarperCollins Canada) >>>Book 5 in The Ice Chips series
Maria and the Plague: A Black Death Survival Story (Girls Survive) by Natasha Deen (Stone Arch Books)
School Trip Squirmies by L. M. Nicodemo, illus. by Graham Ross (Formac)>>> The Secret Games of Maximus Todd series
Unleashed by Amy McCulloch (Sourcebooks)>>>sequel to Jinxed
Up the Creek by Natalie Hyde (Scholastic Canada)

Young Adult
Drone Chase by Pam Withers (Dundurn)
Given by Nandi Taylor (Wattpad)>>>audiobook
Mr. Universe by Arthur Slade (Orca)>>> Orca Soundings
Pickpocket by Karen Spafford-Fitz (Orca) >>> Orca Soundings
The Rules Have Changed by Lesley Choyce (Orca)>>> Orca Soundings
Tornado by Sharon Jennings (Orca)>>> Orca Soundings

Non-Fiction
Amazing Black Atlantic Canadians: Inspiring Stories of Courage and Achievement by Lindsay Ruck, illus. by James Bentley (Nimbus)>>>Amazing Atlantic Canadians series
Charles Tupper: Warhorse by Paula Johanson (Doublejoy Books)
Pierre Elliott Trudeau: Child of Nature by Paula Johanson (Doublejoy Books)
Proud to Play by Erin Silver (Lorimer)






 
 
 
Picture Books and Board Books
Anonymouse by Vikki VanSickle, illus. by Anna Pirolli (Tundra)
A Good Day for Ducks by Jane Whittingham, illus. by Noel Tuazon (Pajama Press)
Goodnight, Noah by Eric Walters, illus. by Eugenie Fernandes (Orca)
Happy Dreams, Little Bunny by Leah Hong (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
M is for Moose: A Canadian Word Book (Scholastic Canada)
Maya's Big Scene by Isabelle Arsenault (Tundra)>>>A Mile End Kids Story 3
Painted Fences by Sara Cassidy, illus. by Sydney Barnes (Heritage House)
The Secret Fawn by Kallie George, illus. by Elly Mackay (Tundra)
Stand Like a Cedar by Nicola I. Campbell, illus. by Carrielynn Victor (HighWater Press)
This is Crab by Harriet Evans, illus. by Jacqui Lee (Puffin Canada)>>>This Is series
This is Frog by Harriet Evans, illus. by Jacqui Lee (Puffin Canada)>>>This Is series
This is Owl by Libby Walden, illus. by Jacqui Lee (Puffin Canada)>>>This Is series
We Adopted a Baby Lamb by Lori Joy Smith (Tundra)
 
Early Readers and Middle Grade Fiction
Call Across the Sea by Kathy Kacer (Annick)>>>The Heroes Quartet 4
Firefly by Philippa Dowding (DCB)
Genie Meanie by Mahtab Narsimhan, illus. by Michelle Simpson (Orca)
Last Pick by David Star (Lorimer)>>Lorimer Sports Stories
Lone Runner by Dirk McLean (Lorimer)>>Lorimer Sports Stories
Open Ice by David Trifunov (Lorimer)>>Lorimer Sports Stories
Pasture Bedtime: Charlie's Rules by Sigmund Brouwer, illus. by Sabrina Gendron (Orca)
Rugby Rookies by Mike Levitt (Lorimer)>>>Lorimer Sports Stories
Sully, Messed Up by Stephanie Simpson McLellan (Red Deer Press)
Super Detectives by Cale Atkinson (Tundra) >>> Simon and Chester Book 1
Trip of the Dead by Angela Misri (DCB)
Unplugged by Gordon Korman (Scholastic Canada)
Unravel by Sharon Jennings (Red Deer Press)
Wild Bird by Leanne Baugh (Red Deer Press)

Young Adult 
Athabasca by Harry Kleinhuis (Red Deer Press)
Bendy: The Illusion of Living by Adrienne Kress (Scholastic)
A Dark and Hollow Star by Ashley Shuttleworth (Margaret K. McElderry Books)
Deception (The Dark Matter Trilogy) by Teri Terry (Charlesbridge)
The Love Code by Mette Bach (Lorimer)>>>Lorimer Real Love
Nothing But Life by Brent van Staalduinen (Dundurn)
Open Secrets by Jennifer Manuel (Lorimer)>>>Lorimer SideStreets
The Player by Paul Coccia (Lorimer)>>>Lorimer SideStreets
The Project by Courtney Summers (Wednesday Books)
Torch by R. J. Anderson (Escape Enclave) >>> conclusion to Flight and Flame Trilogy (earlier books were Swift and Nomad)

Non-Fiction
Body Image: Deal with it because all bodies are great bodies by Tierra Hohn, illus. by Marne Grahlman (Lorimer)>>>Lorimer Deal With It series
How to Change Everything by Naomi Klein, illus. by Rebecca Stefoff (Puffin Canada)
How to Promenade with a Python (and Not Get Eaten) by Rachel Poliquin, illus. by Kathryn Durst (Tundra)>>>Polite Predators Book 1
Kid Innovators: True Tales of Childhood from Inventors and Trailblazers by Robin Stevenson, illus. by Allison Steinfeld (Quirk Books)
Louis Riel Day: The Fur Trade Project by Deborah L. Delaronde, illus. by Sheldon Dawson (Theytus)
Meet Thérèse Casgrain by Elizabeth MacLeod, illus. by Mike Deas (Scholastic Canada)>>>Scholastic Canada Biography
Nature Out of Balance: How Invasive Species Are Changing the Planet by Merrie-Ellen Wilcox (Orca)>>>Orca Footprints
What Makes Us Unique?: Our First Talk About Diversity by Dr. Jillian Roberts and Cindy Revell (Orca)






 
 
 
Picture Books and Board Books
The Big Bad Wolf in My House by Valérie Fontaine, illus. by Nathalie Dion, trans. by Shelley Tanaka (Groundwood)
Carmen and the House That Gaudí Built by Susan Hughes, illus. by Marianne Ferrer (Owlkids)
Easter Morning, Easter Sun by Rosanna Battigelli, illus. by Tara Anderson (Pajama Press)
Kimmy & Mike by Dave Paddon, illus. by Lily Snowden-Fine (Running the Goat, Books & Broadsides)
Malaika's Surprise by Nadia L. Hohn, illus. by Irene Luxbacher (Groundwood)
Mi'kmaq Alphabet Book by Shyla Augustine, illus. by Braelyn Cyr (Monster House)
Mii maanda ezhi-gkendmaanh / This Is How I Know: Niibing, dgwaagig, bboong, mnookmig dbaadjigaade maanpii mzin’igning / A Book about the Seasons by Brittany Luby, illus. by Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley, trans. by Alvin Ted Corbiere & Alan Corbiere (Groundwood)
The Night is Deep and Wide by Gillian Sze, illus. by Sue Todd (Orca)
On the Other Side of the Forest by Nadine Robert, illus. by Gérard DuBois (Greystone)
Ride with Me by Emily Parsons Dickau, illus. by Andrea Armstrong (Kids Can Press)
Riley Can't Stop Crying by Stéphanie Boulay, illus. by Agathe Bray-Bourret (Orca)
Spark by Ani Castillo (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
This House is Home by Deborah Kerbel, illus. by Yong Ling Kang (Owlkids)
Toucania by Marianne Ferrer and Valérie Picard (Orca)
The Wind and the Trees by Todd Stewart (Owlkids)

Early Readers and Middle Grade Fiction
Birdspell by Valerie Sherrard (DCB)
Cuckoo's Flight by Wendy Orr (Pajama Press)
The Egyptian Mirror by Michael Bedard (Pajama Press)
Elvis, Me and the Lemonade Stand Summer by Leslie Gentile (DCB)
Jacob and the Mandolin Adventure by Anne Dublin (Second Story Press)
Like a Duck by Deborah Kerbel (Scholastic Canada)
Megabat and the Not-Happy Birthday by Anna Humphrey, illus. by Kass Reich (Tundra) >>>Megabat Book 4
My Best Friend is Extinct by Rebecca Wood Barrett, illus. by Cornelia Li (Orca)
Peter Lee's Notes from the Field by Angela Ahn, illus. by Julie Kwon (Tundra)
Wild Waters, Inside a Voyageur's World by Larry Loyie and Constance Brissenden (Indigenous Education Press)

Young Adult
Bruised by Tanya Boteju (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)

Non-Fiction
The Bare Naked Book by Kathy Stinson, illus. by Melissa Cho (Annick)>>>revised
The Beekeepers: How Humans Changed the World of Bumble Bees by Dana L. Church (Scholastic)
Design Like Nature: Biomimicry for a Healthy Planet by Megan Clendenan and Kim Ryan Woolcock (Orca)>> Orca Footprints
Finding Home: The Journey of Immigrants and Refugees by Jen Sookfong Lee, illus. by Drew Shannon (Orca)>>>first book in new series Orca Think
Fired Up About Consent by Sarah Ratchford (Between the Lines)
Journey Around the Sun: The Story of Halley's Comet by James Gladstone, illus. by Yaara Eshet (Owlkids)
Patient Zero: Solving the Mysteries of Deadly Epidemics by Marilee Peters (Annick) >>>revised
Snooze-O-Rama: The Strange Ways That Animals Sleep by Maria Birmingham, illus. by Kyle reed (Owlkids)
Treaty Words: For As Long As the Rivers Flow by Aimée Craft, illus. by Luke Swinson (Annick)
Why Does My Shadow Follow Me?: More Science Questions from Real Kids by Kira Vermond, ills. by Suharu Ogawa (Annick)
Wild Outside: Around the World with Survivorman by Les Stroud, illus. by Andrew P. Barr (Annick)




 
 
 
 
Picture Books and Board Books
48 Grasshopper Estates by Sara de Waal, illus. by Erika Medina (Annick)
A Is for Anemone: A First West Coast Alphabet by Roy Henry Vickers and Robert Budd (Harbour Publishing)>>>First West Coast Books 5
Barnaby by Andrea Curtis, illus. by Kass Reich (Owlkids)
The Dog's Gardener by Patricia Storms, illus. by Nathalie Dion (Groundwood)
The Doll by Nhung N. Tran-Davies, illus. by Ravy Puth (Second Story Press)
Dragon! by Caroline Adderson, illus. by Alice Carter (Owlkids)>>>Pierre & Paul, Book 2
Frogness by Sarah Nelson, illus. by Eugenie Fernandes (Owlkids)
Hare B&B by Bill Richardson, illus. by Bill Pechet (Running the Goat, Books & Broadsides)
I Sang You Down from the Stars by Tasha Spillett-Sumner, illus. by Michaela Goade (Owlkids)
Lala's Word by Gracey Zhang (Scholastic Canada)
Leopold's Leotard by Rhiannon Wallace, illus. by Risa Hugo (Orca)
Mr. Mole Moves In by Lesley-Anne Green (Tundra)
My Heart Beats by Rina Singh (Orca)
Nye, Sand and Stones by Bree Galbraith, illus. by Marion Arbona (Orca)
Outside, You Notice by Erin Alladin, illus. by Andrea Blinick (Pajama Press)
Percy's Museum by Sara O'Leary, illus. by Carmen Mok (Groundwood)
Read Talk Play: Baby Steps to Reading by Carol McDougall and Shanda LaRamee-Jones (Nimbus)
The Rock from the Sky by Jon Klassen (Candlewick Press)
Sleep, My Baby by Dr. Lena Allen-Shore with Jacques J. M. Shore, illus. by Jessica Courtney-Tickle (Simon & Schuster)
The Sorry Life of Timothy Shmoe by Stephanie Simpson McLellan, illus. by Zoe Si (Owlkids)
The Sun is a Shine by Leslie A. Davidson, illus. by Slavka Kolesar (Orca)
Tough Like Mum by Lana Button, illus. by Carmen Mok (Tundra)
We Dream Medicine Dreams by Lisa Boivin (HighWater Press)
When Mom's Away by Layla Ahmad, illus. by Farida Zaman (Second Story Press)
Wildflower by Briana Corr Scott (Nimbus)

Early Readers and Middle Grade Fiction
Away Games by Craig Battle (Owlkids)>>>Camp Average Book 3
The Case of the Burgled Bundle by Michael Hutchinson (Second Story Press)>>> A Mighty Muskrats Mystery Book 3
The Family Way by Laura Best (Nimbus)>>>Cammie #4
The Frog Mother by Hetxw’ms Gyetxw (Brett D. Huson), illus. by Natasha Donovan (HighWater Press) >>>Book 4 of Mothers of Xsan
Good as Gold by Sarah Mlynowski (Scholastic)>>>Whatever After #14
The Great Cookie War by Caroline Stellings (Second Story Press)
The Good Fight by Ted Staunton (Scholastic Canada)
Lost on the Prairie by MaryLou Driedger (Heritage House)
The Monster Sisters and the Mystery of the Stone Octopus by Gareth Gaudin (Orca)>>>Book 2 in the Monster Sisters series
Otter Lagoon by Nancy Deas and Mike Deas (Orca)>>>graphic novel in Sueño Bay Adventures series
Rescue at Lake Wild by Terry Lynn Johnson (HMH Books for Young Readers)
Road Allowance Era by Katherena Vermette, illus. by Scott B. Henderson, colour by Donovan Yaciuk (HighWater Press) >>>Vol. 4 in A Girl Called Echo graphic novel series
Shark Bait! by Jeff Szpirglas, illus. by Danielle Saint-Onge (Orca)>>>Orca Echoes
Spill the Beans by Sarah Mlynowski (Scholastic)>>>Whatever After #13
The Sun Will Come Out by Joanne Levy (Orca)

Young Adult
The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur (Feiwel & Friends)
The Life and Deaths of Frankie D. by Colleen Nelson (Dundurn)
My Body in Pieces by Marie-Noëlle Hébert, trans. by Shelley Tanaka (Groundwood)>>> graphic novel
My Indian by Mi'Sel Joe and Sheila O'Neill (Breakwater Books)
Travesia: A Migrant Girl's Cross-Border Journey/ El viaje de una joven migrante by Michelle Gerster, illus. by Fiona Dunnett (Arsenal Pulp Press) >>> graphic novel
Zara Hossain is Here by Sabina Khan (Scholastic)

Non-Fiction 
50 Things To Know About the International Space Station by John A. Read (Formac)>>> The Beginner's Guide to Space series
Butterflies Are Pretty...Gross! by Rosemary Mosco, illus. by Jacob Souva (Tundra)
Carry On: Poetry by Young Immigrants by Various Contributors, illus. by Rogé Girard (Owlkids)
The Disability Experience: Working Toward Belonging by Hannalora Leavitt, illus. by Belle Wuthrich (Orca)>>>Orca Issues
The East Coast Nature Activity Book: Games, facts, quizzes and more by Kara Turner (Formac)
Forest Magic: A Guidebook for Little Woodland Explorers by Sarah Grindler (Nimbus)>>> Little Explorers series
How to Become an Accidental Activist by Elizabeth MacLeod and Frieda Wishinsky (Orca)>>>new Accidental Series
Indigenous Filmmakers & Actors by Gary Robinson (Second Story Press)>>>First Nations Book for Young Readers
The Power of Style: How Fashion and Beauty Are Being Used to Reclaim Cultures by Christian Allaire (Annick)
Seeing Stars: The Secret Life of Starfish by Denise Adams (Nimbus)
Thao by Thao Lam (Owlkids)






 
 
 
Picture Books and Board Books
1, 2, 3 Off to School! by Marianne Dubuc (Kids Can Press)
Ballewiena by Rebecca Bender (Pajama Press)
Brady Brady and the Missed Hattrick by Mary Shaw, illus. by Chuck Temple (Scholastic Canada)
Carol and the Pickle-Toad by Esmé Shapiro (Tundra)
A Cat Named Tim and Other Stories by John Martz (Tundra)
City Baby by Laurie Elmquist, illus. by Ashley Barron (Orca)
Come, Read with Me by Magriet Ruurs, illus. by Christine Wei (Orca)
Etty Darwin and the Four Pebble Problem by Lauren Soloy (Tundra)
Here Babies, There Babies in Summer by Nancy Cohen, illus. by Carmen Mok (Nimbus)
The Land Puffin by Lori Doody (Nimbus)
Little You / Gidagaashiinh by Richard Van Camp, illus. by Julie Flett (Orca) >>>dual-language edition (English and Anishinaabemowin)
Little Wolf by Teoni Spathelfer, illus. by Natassia Davies (Heritage House)
Meet Your Family / Gikenim Giniigi'igoog by David Bouchard, illus. by Kristy Cameron (Medicine Wheel Education)>>> English with Ojibwe
My Heart Fills With Happiness / Nijiikendam by Monique Gray Smith, illus. by Julie Flett (Orca) >>> dual-language edition (English and Anishinaabemowin)
No More Plastic by Alma Fullerton (Pajama Press)
On the Trapline by David A. Robertson, illus. by Julie Flett (Tundra)
Out into the Big Wide Lake by Paul Harbridge, illus. by Josée Bisaillon (Tundra)
Peace Train by Cat Stevens, illus. by Peter H. Reynolds (HarperCollins)
Pride Puppy! by Robin Stevenson, illus. by Julie McLaughlin (Orca)
Raymond the Buffalo by Lou Beauchesne, illus. by Kate Chappell (Orca)
ROAR-chestra!: A Wild Story of Musical Words by Robert Heidbreder, illus. by Dušan Petričić (Kids Can Press)
The Shaman's Apprentice by Zacharias Kunuk, illus. by Megan Kyak-Monteith (Inhabit Media)
Show Us Where You Live, Humpback by Beryl Young, illus. by Sakika Kikuchi (Greystone)
Sloth and Squirrel in a Pickle by Cathy Ballou Mealey, illus. by Kelly Collier (Kids Can Press)
Sonata for Fish and Boy by Milan Pavlović (Groundwood)
Sunny Days by Deborah Kerbel, illus. by Miki Sato (Pajama Press)
Think Big! by Robert Munsch, illus. by Dave Whamond (Scholastic Canada)
This is Ruby by Sara O'Leary, illus. by Alea Marley (Tundra)
This is What I’ve Been Told / Mii Yi Gaa-Bi-Wiindmaagooyaan by Juliana Armstrong (Medicine Wheel Education)>>>with Anishnaabemowin
We All Play by Julie Flett (Greystone)
What the Kite Saw by Anne Laurel Carter, illus. by Akin Duzakin (Groundwood)
Yorick and Bones: Friends by Any Other Name by Jeremy Tankard and Hermione Tankard (Quill Tree Books)
You Hold Me Up / Gimanaadenim by Monique Gray Smith, illus. by Danielle Daniel (Orca) >>>dual-language edition (English & Anishnaabemowin)

Early Readers and Middle Grade Fiction
Alice Fleck's Recipes for Disaster by Rachelle Delaney (Puffin Canada)
Amanda in Malta: The Sleeping Lady by Darlene Foster (Central Avenue Publishing)>>> Book 8 in Amanda series that includes Amanda in Alberta and Amanda in New Mexico
Anna Analyst by Patti Edgar (Yellow Dog)
Awesome Wildlife Defenders by Martha Attema (Ronsdale)
Every Home Needs an Elephant by Jane Heinrichs (Orca)
The Fabled Stables: Trouble with Tattle-Tails by Jonathan Auxier, illus. by Olga Demodova (Puffin Canada)>>>sequel to Willa the Wisp
I Want to Go Home by Gordon Korman (Scholastic Canada)
Once Upon an Iceberg: Errol's Twillingate Adventure by Sheilah Lukins, illus. by Laurel Keating (Breakwater Books)>>> Errol's Adventures #3
Scaredy Squirrel in a Nutshell by Melanie Watt (Tundra)>>>Scaredy Squirrel is back in a graphic novel
The Street Belongs to Us by Karleen Pendleton Jiménez, illus. by Gabriela Godoy (Arsenal Pulp Press)
Thanks a Lot, Universe by Chad Lucas (Amulet Books)
Thrive by Kenneth Oppel (HarperCollins)>>>conclusion to The Overthrow trilogy that began with Bloom and Hatch
The Traitor's Blade by Kevin Sands (Aladdin)>>>Blackthorn Key Book 5
Travels in Cuba by Marie-Louise Gay and David Homel, illus. by Marie-Louise Gay (Groundwood)

Young Adult
Aetherbound by E. K. Johnston (Dutton Books for Young Readers)
The Boi of Feather and Steel (Metamorphosis 2) by Adan Jerreat-Poole (Dundurn)>>>sequel to The Girl of Hawthorn and Glass
Crest (The Call of the Rift Book 3) by Jae Waller (DCB)
Don't Breathe a Word by Jordyn Taylor (HarperTeen)
Green Glass Ghosts by Rae Spoon, illus. by Gem Hall (Arsenal Pulp Press)
Home Wrecker by Deanna Cameron (Wattpad Books)
Just a Boy and a Girl in a Little Canoe by Sarah Mlynowski (HarperTeen)
Made in Korea by Sarah Suk (Simon & Schuster) 
Misfit in Love by S. K. Ali (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)>>>sequel to Saints and Misfits
Sugar Falls: A Residential School Story by David A. Robertson, illus. by Scott B. Henderson, colour by Donovan Yaciuk (HighWater Press) >>>10th anniversary edition
Tainted Amber by Gabriele Goldstone (Ronsdale)
Tremendous Things by Susin Nielsen (Penguin Teen)
When You Get the Chance by Tom Ryan and Robin Stevenson (Running Press Kids)>>>delayed release ( I reviewed it early here)

Non-Fiction
Beavers: Radical Rodents and Ecosystem Engineers by Frances Backhouse (Orca)>>>Orca Wild
City of Water by Andrea Curtis, illus. by Katy Dockrill (Groundwood)
Growing Up Elizabeth May: The Making of an Activist by Sylvia Olsen and Cate May Burton (Orca)
Her Epic Adventure: 25 Daring Women Who Inspire a Life Less Ordinary by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, illus. by Salini Perera (Kids Can Press)
Mad for Ads: How Advertising Gets (and Stays) in Our Heads by Erica Fyvie, illus. by Ian Turner (Kids Can Press)
See Where We Come From!: A First Book of Family Heritage by Scot Ritchie (Kids Can Press)
Sounds All Around: The Science of How Sound Works by Susan Hughes, illus. by Ellen Rooney (Kids Can Press)>>>The Science of How series






 
 
 
 
Picture Books and Board Books
A is for Anemone by Roy Henry Vickers and Robert Budd (Harbour Publishing)
Arnold the Super-ish Hero by Heather Tekavec, illus. by Guillaume Perreault (Kids Can Press)
Burt the Beetle Doesn't Bite! by Ashley Spires (Kids Can Press)
Hidden Treasure by Elly MacKay (RP Kids)
Jonathan and the Giant Eagle by Danny Christopher (Eye of Newt Books)
Poem in My Pocket by Chris Tougas, illus. by Josée Bisaillon (Kids Can Press)
This Is a Dog Book! by Judith Henderson, illus. by Julien Chung (Kids Can Press)
T. Rexes Can't Tie Their Shoes by Anna Lazowski, illus. by Stephanie Laberis (Random House Kids)
Wingmaker by Dave Cameron, illus. by David Huyck (Kids Can Press)

Early Readers and Middle Grade Fiction
Dusty Dreams and Troubled Waters: A Story of HMCS Sackville and the Battle of the Atlantic by Brian Bowman, illus. by Richard Rudnicki (Nimbus)>>>graphic novel
Hide and Seek by Sarah Mlynowski, Lauren Myracle and Emily Jenkins (Scholastic)>>> Upside-Down Magic #7
Long Distance by Whitney Gardener (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)>>>graphic novel
The Serpent's Fury by Kelley Armstrong (Puffin Canada)>> A Royal Guide to Monster Slaying, Book 3
Wednesday Wilson Gets Down to Business by Bree Galbraith, illus. by Morgan Goble (Kids Can Press)>>>new early chapter book series Wednesday Wilson

Young Adult
Blood Like Magic by Liselle Sambury (Margaret K. McElderry)
The Coming Storm by Regina M. Hansen (Atheneum Books for Young Readers)
Four Faces of the Moon by Amanda Strong (Annick)
The Last Time I Saw Her by Alexandra Harrington (Nimbus)
The Momentous Expiration of Tremmy Sinclair by Michael F. Stewart
Rising Like a Storm by Tanaz Bhathena (Penguin Teen)>>>The Wrath of Amber, Book 2
Royal Blood by Arthur Slade (Scholastic Canada)>>>Dragon Assassin series
Tell Me When You Feel Something by Vicki Grant (Penguin Teen)

Non-Fiction
Extremely Gross Animals: Stinky, Slimy and Strange Animal Adaptations by Claire Eamer (Kids Can Press)
The Girl Who Loved Giraffes by Kathy Stinson, illus. by François Thisdale (Fitzhenry & Whiteside)
That's No Dino! Or Is It?: What Makes a Dinosaur a Dinosaur by Helaine Becker, illus. by Marie-Ève Tremblay (Kids Can Press)
Walking for Water: How One Boy Stood Up for Gender Equality by Susan Hughes, illus. by Nicole Miles (Kids Can Press)>>>CitizenKid series

 
 




 
 
 
Picture Books and Board Books
Bear Wants to Sing by Cary Fagan, illus. by Dena Seiferling (Tundra)
A Calf for Olive by Cheryl Dawn Buchan (Chocolate River Publishing)
Can You Imagine by Wallace Edwards (North Winds Press)
Catalina by Lori Doody (Running the Goat, Books & Broadsides)
Choose Kindness by Ruth Ohi (North Winds Press)
The Cow Said Boo! by Lana Button, illus. by Alice Carter (Pajama Press)
Disaster at the Highland Games by Riel Nason, illus. by Nathasha Pilotte (Chocolate River Publishing)
Evie and the Truth about Witches by John Martz (Tundra)
Five Busy Beavers by Stella Partheniou Grasso, illus. by Christine Battuz (Scholastic Canada)
Harley the Hero by Peggy Collins (Pajama Press)
Mr. Beagle and the Georgestown Mystery by Lori Doody (Running the Goat, Books & Broadsides)
Oliver Bounces Back! by Alison Hughes, illus. by Charlene Chua (North Winds Press)
The Rocking Horse by Sheryl McFarlane, illus. by François Thisdale (Pajama Press)
Sweetgrass by Theresa Meuse, illus. by Arthur Stevens (Nimbus)>>> Indigenous Knowledge series
Swish Slosh by Deborah Kerbel, illus. by Jacqui Lee (Orca)
The Wall and the Wind by Veselina Tomova (Running the Goat Books & Broadsides)

Early Readers and Middle Grade Fiction
Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen: The Dead Man in the Garden by Marthe Jocelyn (Tundra) >>>Book 3 in Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen series
Anne's School Days by Kallie George, illus. by Abigail Halpin (Tundra) >>>An Anne Chapter Book 3
Arlo & Pips: Join the Crow Crowd by Elise Gravel (HarperAlley)>>>Book 2 in this early graphic novel series
Boo! Hiss! by Cyndi Marko (Aladdin Pix)
The Curse of the Scarewolf (The Lunch Club #2) by Dom Pelletier (Scholastic Canada)
Escape to Witch City by E. Latimer (Tundra)
Fred & Marjorie by Deborah Kerbel, illus. by Angela Poon (Owlkids Books)
Linked by Gordon Korman (Scholastic)
Making Seaker by Karen Autio (Crwth Press)
Over the Top by Alison Hughes (Running Press Kids)
Screamers by Joel A. Sutherland (Scholastic Canada)
Sloth Sleuth by Cyndi Marko (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
The Wolf Mother by Hetxw’ms Gyetxw (Brett D. Huson), illus. by Natasha Donovan (HighWater Press) >>> Mothers of Xsan series, Book 5

Young Adult 
The Degrees of Barley Lick by Susan Flanagan (Running the Goat, Books & Broadsides)
Shoot Out by Maureen Ulrich (Wood Dragon Books) >>> fourth book in Jessie Mac Hockey series
Sisters of the Wolf by Patricia Miller-Schroeder (Dundurn)

Non-Fiction
Lights Day and Night: The Science of How Light Works by Susan Hughes (Kids Can Press)
Math Hacks 2: Do Better + Stress Less by Vanessa Vakharia, illus. by Hyein Lee (Scholastic Canada)
Meet David Suzuki by Elizabeth MacLeod, illus. by Mike Deas (Scholastic Canada) >>> Scholastic Canada Biography
Race with Me by Andre De Grasse and Robert Budd (Scholastic Canada)
Same Here! The Differences We Share by Susan Hughes (Owlkids Books)

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 With so many wonderful upcoming releases of #youngCanLit,
there's something for every young reader.
Happy Reading!
 
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Any omissions or errors in details, including release dates, are my own. Please share any additions or corrections with me in the comments below. I'm always happy to make the listing more complete and accurate. 

 

December 29, 2020

The Library Bus

Written by Bahram Rahman
Illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard
Pajama Press
978-1-77278-101-4
32 pp.
Ages 5-8
November, 2020

While education should be a right for all everywhere, sometimes someone has to step up to make sure those without access because of gender inequality or location or some other restriction get the schooling they should be receiving. That someone in The Library Bus is Pari's mother.

From The Library Bus by Bahram Rahman, illus. by Gabrielle Grimard
Little Pari, who will not be starting school until the following year, is going to help her mother on the library bus she takes around to villages and refugee camps without access to schools. Pari knows this is a privilege and takes her role seriously, repeating to herself that she should, "Arrange the books...clean up...be nice to the other girls." For the girls who wait patiently for the bus's arrival and cherish their time with the books and their teacher, the library bus is their school.
From The Library Bus by Bahram Rahman, illus. by Gabrielle Grimard

They exchange their library books for new ones and sit down with Pari's mother who teaches them the alphabet and their numbers in English. For the children of the refugee camps, they provide school supplies like notebooks and pencils. Pari is impressed by how much the girls know and want to learn. As she helps, she listens and learns too, ably reading the important acronyms of WFP and UNHCR by the time they leave the camp.

From The Library Bus by Bahram Rahman, illus. by Gabrielle Grimard
When Pari asks her mother where she learned the alphabet, she is told how Grandpa taught her mother in the basement as girls were prohibited from attending school. For that reason, she insists that Pari study well when she gets to school so that she might experience the freedom that learning gives.

The encouragement of learning is always powerful but by embodying it in Afghanistan, a country impacted by war and restrictive policies, Bahram Rahman's first children's book tells it gently but with influence. Many Canadian children will not appreciate the privilege that attending school and receiving an education entails. It is the norm for them. But for Bahram Rahman's characters, education is everything, and the generosity and impact of the library bus and its in-house teacher are significant.
From The Library Bus by Bahram Rahman, illus. by Gabrielle Grimard
Illustrated by award-winning artist Gabrielle Grimard with watercolour and digital media, Bahram Rahman's gentle strength of message is emulated. The softness of the watercolour and the openness of Gabrielle Grimard's character's faces invite the readers in to the story and the bus, allowing them to travel with Pari and her Mama and join the girls to be part of something bigger and meaningful.

While Bahram Rahman claims to have taken liberties to rearrange the details in the telling of the story of The Library Bus, based on his own experiences and meeting others in Afghanistan, I see only the truth about the hope gifted to the girls with the books and teaching that came with the bus's weekly visits. Now, by Bahram Rahman and Gabrielle Grimard's hands, the travels of The Library Bus will lead to even greater learning.

December 23, 2020

Underland

Written by Colleen Nelson and Nancy Chappell-Pollack
Yellow Dog (An imprint of Great Plains)
978-1-77337-052-1
192 pp.
Ages 12-15
October 2020 
 
So the truth lies buried in the Underland. (pg. 33)
 
Though authors Colleen Nelson and Nancy Chappell-Pollack didn't really leave us hanging at the conclusion of Pulse Point (2018), the book to which Underland is the sequel, they did hint that there was more to learn about the world they created and the inhabitants of the City protected under a dome and the Prims who lived on the Mountain outside of it. In fact, though we'd met Kaia who'd escaped from the City to find out the true nature of her heritage, there is so much more to learn about the City, from its Councillors who govern, the overseers who watch, and Citizens who generate energy through their physical efforts. And now we learn, as does Sari, Kaia's best friend, that there is an Underland to the City, unknown to its above-ground and more privileged inhabitants. 
 
Told in the alternating voices of Ama, a young Under who lives and labours in the tunnels beneath the City, and Sari, who was matched with Councillor Tar's offspring Lev who'd gone after Kaia when she'd fled the City, Underland is a story of separation and convergence. Kept hidden from the Citizens above who believe their own efforts generate power, Ama and her fellow workers, primarily "younguns" who can fit through the narrow tunnels, dig the precious brine which the City above requires to run everything. They believe in Big Mother who gives life and protects them and Old Father who shows his anger when displeased but, except for the two Prims Jacob and Noah who were captured and forced to serve, the Unders only know enslavement and nothing of the world beyond their pit where they live and the tunnels they mine.
 
Above, in the very different world of the City, Sari still feels guilty about being matched with Lev when she'd known how much Kaia and Lev cared for each other. But Tar makes it clear that Kaia was an inappropriate match for Lev and she sees the qualities of a leader in Sari. Curious, Sari looks into Kaia's birth record which reveals a special notation of "intertwining." With the help of Ren, a former classmate and now overseer, Sari learns more about Kaia's origins but also about the Underland.
 
With their worlds in danger of physically and socially collapsing, those of the City and the Underland can no longer remain separate and Colleen Nelson and Nancy Chappell-Pollack's dystopia evolves into something less dissonant, advancing towards the cooperative and diverse.
 
At this time of year, Underland offers hope that acceptance of others and compassion for all is possible. While both the Unders and the Citizens, except for the Councillors and those who oppress those of the Underland, know nothing of the others' existence and experiences, they are part of a social order of epic inequities and horrific discrimination. Based in fear and ignorance, their different worlds would not ever have come together if individuals like Ama and Sari, among a handful of others, had not stepped up and recognized the need for change. For themselves and others, they needed to see beyond themselves.
If I want to move forward, I need to make sure I'm okay with what's behind me. (pg. 157)
With suspenseful action-filled scenes and a wide cast of characters from all levels–geologists, fetal assessment technicians, diggers, mules, bureaucrats, elders, younguns, mothers and more–Colleen Nelson and Nancy Chappell-Pollack have created a grim world, borne of good intentions but managed into the objectionable and worse. Fortunately, Underland inspires faith that a few good people can make the difference and that redemption is possible through transformation. Sometimes it's all we need to go forward.

December 15, 2020

Two Drops of Brown in a Cloud of White

Written by Saumiya Balasubramaniam
Illustrated by Eva Campbell
Groundwood Books
978-1-77306-258-7
32 pp.
Ages 3-7
October 2020

While there are many, many wonderful books about winter and snow and the experiences with both, Two Drops of Brown in a Cloud of White reminds us that those interactions are not the same for all of us. They are distinct for the young who long to play in the snow, for the fortunate to have shelter from the it, for those familiar and acclimatized to it, and for those who must endure it. When a child and her mother walk home from school, the distinction of their attitudes to the snow is evident. Fortunately, their affection for the other helps them appreciate both perspectives.
From Two Drops of Brown in a Cloud of White by Saumiya Balasubramaniam, illus. by Eva Campbell
As a girl revels in the snow and ice of their walk home, her mother displays an overabundance of caution and even scorn for winter's elements. "Watch out for black ice" and "Do as you like" are just a few of her protestations as the child glides on the ice and makes footprints in the snow. The child sees ice cream in her snowball and makes snow people while Ma tucks herself deeper into her royal-blue scarf and wishes for the sun.
From Two Drops of Brown in a Cloud of White by Saumiya Balasubramaniam, illus. by Eva Campbell
But they really aren't that different. The girl knows that her mother loves colour–"So much snow," says Ma. "So monochromatic"–but so does she. She sees their cat, Kitty, in the grey cloud with blue spots for eyes; she is charmed by the rainbow of colours that are scattered by her mother's diamond on her nose; and she sees the brown of maple syrup in the dry leaves. 
From Two Drops of Brown in a Cloud of White by Saumiya Balasubramaniam, illus. by Eva Campbell
Still by the time they reach home, they can both see the colour of themselves as two drops of brown in a cloud of white snow.

Author Saumiya Balasubramaniam was inspired by her own winter walks with her daughter to write Two Drops of Brown in a Cloud of White. If the story reflects her own experiences, then it's evident that their two perspectives which may have started out as different–not unusual as they would have different life experiences–ultimately converge, with an appreciation for their differences and acceptance of their similarities.  Two drops of brown would contrast significantly with the whiteness of the snow but they are still similar to each other. As such, Two Drops of Brown in a Cloud of White definitely speaks to diversity of perspective, of people, and of time and place.

From Two Drops of Brown in a Cloud of White by Saumiya Balasubramaniam, illus. by Eva Campbell

 
To tell promote both the realism and sentimentalism of the story, Eva Campbell's oil and pastel on canvas illustrations use boldness of colour, even for the snow, but also a softness of stroke. By emphasizing both the realistic and the poetic, Eva Campbell evokes an authentic mother-daughter interaction but also the romance of the snow and their relationship. They may see themselves as two drops of brown in a cloud of white but they are more. They are blue with cold and red with love and it's also courtesy of Eva Campbell's art.

Snow may be cold but Saumiya Balasubramaniam and Eva Campbell's Two Drops of Brown in a Cloud of White creates the warmth of family and acceptance.

December 11, 2020

Snow Days

Written by Deborah Kerbel
Illustrated by Miki Sato
Pajama Press
978-1-77278-135-9
24 pp.
Ages 2-5
November 2020

In modest rhyming text and textured paper-collage artwork, Deborah Kerbel and Miki Sato invite young children and their families to join them outdoors to celebrate and explore the snow of winter.
From Snow Days by Deborah Kerbel, illus. by Miki Sato
First snow, surprise snow:
Nature's sparkly magic show
Deborah Kerbel begins her story with the delight of children taking in the first snow of the season. With arms upraised and mouths agape, perhaps to catch a few of Miki Sato's extraordinary snowflakes, the warmly-dressed children revel in the splendour of the snow. Of course, in Canada, there will be more snow days, and the next brings a little more that accumulates and allows for snow angels, both of the two-legged and four-legged varieties.

From Snow Days by Deborah Kerbel, illus. by Miki Sato
There's skating and watching snow fall from the warmth of inside, shovelling and building snowmen, sliding down banks and throwing snowballs. And always,  Deborah Kerbel shines some attention on the different kinds of snow. Whether it be powder snow or packing snow, blizzard snow or Christmas snow–a particularly special kind– or even frozen snow and slush and sleet, Deborah Kerbel invites little ones to savour each as a sensory experience of touch and feel.
From Snow Days by Deborah Kerbel, illus. by Miki Sato
But winter always comes to an end.
Last snow, tame and shy,
Winter's quiet wave goodbye
With the receding snow allowing snowdrops and the first crocuses to shoot, Deborah Kerbel lets us see the turnover to the next season, resplendent in its own emerging glories.

Miki Sato's three-dimensional illustrations, created with cut-paper collage, reflects Deborah Kerbel's textured text, making us feel the iciness of packed snow and the dampness of mittens, amidst the piles of different snows. Just as each snow day is different, Miki Sato's children and landscapes are as varied and diverse. Who interacts with the snow are a few adults but mostly children of all ages, colours, and abilities, including a young child with skates on the wrong feet and one with glasses. As for the snow itself, it blankets parklands and backyards, congests driveways and brings Christmas to dense housing divisions.
 
With our own snow days upon us, enjoy Deborah Kerbel and Miki Sato's exploration in words and art and even consider the handful of experiments for very young children suggested at the end. It may be a little cold and get a little wet but the adventure will be worth it.

December 09, 2020

Hockey in the Wild

Written and illustrated by Nicholas Oldland
Kids Can Press
978-1-5253-0241-1
32 pp.
Ages 3-7
September 2020 

There's something wild going on in the woods as the beaver, bear and moose anticipate the start of hockey season. But, as sometimes happens when looking forward to something wonderful, being too eager can be problematic and the waiting exasperating.
From Hockey in the Wild by Nicholas Oldland
Heading out for his daily dip in the lake, the beaver is surprised to find the water had turned to ice but thrilled to share the news with his friends (by cell phone, no less). But when the trio hit the ice, they are chagrined to realize that the ice isn't thick enough yet. Still the friends are determined and return, better prepared with life vests or water wings, none of which sadly help.
From Hockey in the Wild by Nicholas Oldland
To distract themselves from their waiting, they "practiced competitive napping" and sing karaoke. They eat comfort food and veg out watching television. Unfortunately when it would seem that winter has finally arrived in all its frozen glory, the group is out of shape and unprepared to head out on the ice.
From Hockey in the Wild by Nicholas Oldland
So, the beaver, the bear and the moose get to work. This time, with a little preparedness with respect to their personal training and foresight about the conditions of the ice, the friends launch their hockey-on-the-lake season with gusto and success.
From Hockey in the Wild by Nicholas Oldland

Nicholas Oldland always charms with his Life in the Wild books. (See the graphic below for the list of titles available currently.) He puts forth important messages about everything from teamwork and environmental awareness to patience and perseverance, all important lessons for young readers. But, by suiting these messages up in his adorable forest creatures –like a beaver in a baby-blue swim suit, or a moose with a polka-dot cellphone case or a cardinal as goalie–Nicholas Oldland's story gets meaning without preaching. Still it's always his illustrations that will draw young readers. I've written before (see my review of One Wild Christmas) about the subtlety of the lines and shapes of his digitally-rendered artwork and the narrow palette that speak to young children. It's rustic but not silly.

At this time of year, there will be a lot of anticipation and impatience shown by young children. Whether they're hockey fans or not, Hockey in the Wild will encourage children to wait. That could be waiting until the right time to open gifts or until the ice is strong enough, or until they're ready to pursue new challenges, but it always means waiting with the right attitude to help ensure success.

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